Next day he believed he was well enough to leave his room; but Mrs. Belding would not permit him to do so.  She was kind, soft-handed, motherly, and she was always coming in to minister to his comfort.  This attention was sincere, not in the least forced; yet Gale felt that the friendliness so manifest in the others of the household did not extend to her.  He was conscious of something that a little thought persuaded him was antagonism.  It surprised and hurt him.  He had never been much of a success with girls and young married women, but their mothers and old people had generally been fond of him.  Still, though Mrs. Belding’s hair was snow-white, she did not impress him as being old.  He reflected that there might come a time when it would be desirable, far beyond any ground of every-day friendly kindliness, to have Mrs. Belding be well disposed toward him.  So he thought about her, and pondered how to make her like him.  It did not take very long for Dick to discover that he liked her.  Her face, except when she smiled, was thoughtful and sad.  It was a face to make one serious.  Like a haunting shadow, like a phantom of happier years, the sweetness of Nell’s face was there, and infinitely more of beauty than had been transmitted to the daughter.  Dick believed Mrs. Belding’s friendship and motherly love were worth striving to win, entirely aside from any more selfish motive.  He decided both would be hard to get.  Often he felt her deep, penetrating gaze upon him; and, though this in no wise embarrassed him—­for he had no shameful secrets of past or present—­it showed him how useless it would be to try to conceal anything from her.  Naturally, on first impulse, he wanted to hide his interest in the daughter; but he resolved to be absolutely frank and true, and through that win or lose.  Moreover, if Mrs. Belding asked him any questions about his home, his family, his connections, he would not avoid direct and truthful answers.

Toward evening Gale heard the tramp of horses and Belding’s hearty voice.  Presently the rancher strode in upon Gale, shaking the gray dust from his broad shoulders and waving a letter.

“Hello, Dick!  Good news and bad!” he said, putting the letter in Dick’s hand.  “Had no trouble finding your friend Thorne.  Looked like he’d been drunk for a week!  Say, he nearly threw a fit.  I never saw a fellow so wild with joy.  He made sure you and Mercedes were lost in the desert.  He wrote two letters which I brought.  Don’t mistake me, boy, it was some fun with Mercedes just now.  I teased her, wouldn’t give her the letter.  You ought to have seen her eyes.  If ever you see a black-and-white desert hawk swoop down upon a quail, then you’ll know how Mercedes pounced upon her letter...Well, Casita is one hell of a place these days.  I tried to get your baggage, and I think I made a mistake.  We’re going to see travel toward Forlorn River.  The federal garrison got reinforcements from somewhere, and is holding out.